Ahead of the Labor Day holiday, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) reached tentative, five-year collective bargaining agreements with five labor unions in addition to the four announced last week. These nine agreements, which together, cover approximately 55% of the company's unionized workforce, come four months before the opening of the next collective bargaining round, underscoring NS’ commitment to pay, healthcare, and time off for its craft railroaders.
"These agreements would not be possible without the industry-leading partnership Norfolk Southern has built with our labor unions," says Alan H. Shaw, NS president and CEO. "As we recognize Labor Day this upcoming weekend, we express our appreciation for the contributions of our craft employees. We're committed to supporting them with the pay, health care, and personal time they deserve, and look forward to reaching additional agreements with all of our unions in the near future."
Key takeaways:
- The most recent agreements, which were reached in partnership with BNSF Railway, include the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and Blacksmiths (IBBB) and the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO). NS also separately reached tentative agreements with the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division (BMWED), and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division Yardmasters (SMART-TD Yardmasters).
- The tentative agreements provide a 3.5% average wage increase per year over the next five years. They also offer railroaders more vacation earlier in their career and make meaningful enhancements to an already robust suite of healthcare benefits.
